Under the Skins

Bulgarian Lamentation Songs

January 1968 •Slovak

A documentary about lamentation songs of Bulgarian funeral rites.

Kukeri

April 2012 •Bulgarian

This film documents the Kukeri rituals in Bulgaria, focusing on the mask makers and performers who keep this ancient tradition alive. Their dedication to this agrarian custom is a visual testament to the power of tradition to provide hope and community in a time of diaspora and urbanization.

Kukeri

July 2020 •English

The Balkans is home to an ancient pagan tradition where magic and mystery still have a sacred place in the cosmic order. The Kukeri festival has had a strong hold over Bulgarian cultural life since the fifth century, surviving the Ottomans, Christendom and communist rule. Every winter, hundreds of terrifying figures prowl snow-capped forests and village centers in search of evil spirits to dispel from their communities.

Bulgaria, This Eternal Heresy

January 2013 •Bulgarian

Part fictional documentary, part musical anthropology, scientific magic, and eco-anarchic utopian journey in a landscape of eight parts. You're Kaloyan, the sax player. Or Diana, the Gypsy dancer. You journey together through Bulgaria in search of the utopian village Dolphinovo. It's not Sofia, Paris or New York. That's why this story is rural, rustic and polyphonic. It's like a string of painted walls of village houses, folk songs and allegories. However, who is Ivo? And why does he lead you through these winter landscapes a year later?

Bulgaria: Fire Dance Ritual

January 2020 •German

Every year in June, the small Bulgarian village of Balgari celebrates St Constantine with a special ritual. Initiated ‘nestinari’ go into a music-induced trance and dance on bonfires in a display of religious passion.

Bulgarian Lovers

April 2003 •Spanish

Graying Spaniard Daniel has a healthy budget for indulging in the finer things in life. Daniel's favorite luxury is playing sponsor to younger men amid the lights and sights of Madrid's gay club scene. After Daniel shares a night with handsome Bulgarian emigre Kyril, he finds himself consumed with an insatiable lust for the charismatic foreigner. But, as their relationship takes shape, Daniel's latest conquest reveals his own manipulative tendencies.

House of Z

June 2016 •English

A feature documentary on the life and career of designer Zac Posen.

Niñato

April 2017 •Spanish

Jobless and with no prospects, Niñato (Brat) lives with his parents and does hip-hop music. He lives the life of the outskirts, it's the Madrid of the chronic crisis. But he is 34 years old and has three children to bring up. Time goes by, the kids are growing up and Niñato carries on, making music and looking after the children, without worrying too much about his future. Oro, the smallest one, not too motivated at school, will demand more attention and drive Niñato to face his own conflicts.

BE' JAM BE the Never Ending Song

April 2017 •English

“The Mutan tree, well we say tree, but originally it’s a liana that uses the tree to climb. And its grasp ends up killing the tree. That’s what is going to happen between us and the companies.” In Sarawak, one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo, the Penan — who not that long ago were still nomads — are the first to be affected by deforestation.

Long Echo

April 2020 •German

Dobropillia is a town located in Eastern Ukraine: 70 km from the border where conflicts with the breakaway republics are raging on and people feel always like being on the verge of total war. The sheer uncertainty about the future pushes folks to cling on to their daily habits while trying to get along with the ever-shifting political landscape. A wide array of wildly diversified characters try to cope as good as they can with the hardships in their town. A death metal band keeps rehearsing daily. A teacher guides visitors through the story of the city. The wonders of a vibrating armchair are tested as a tool against stress and anxiety. An elderly lady who has lost her son tries to talk some sense into her fellow citizens urging them to accept peace.

Cassini's Grand Finale

April 2017 •English

To help visualize the dramatic final chapter in Cassini's remarkable story, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory produced this short film that features beautiful computer-generated animation, thoughtful narration and a rousing score. Producers at JPL worked with filmmaker Erik Wernquist, known for his 2014 short film "Wanderers," to create a stirring finale video befitting one of NASA's most successful missions of exploration.

Encyclopedia

July 1998 •Spanish

Hollywood - The Second Step

June 1936 •English

This short follows the early career of actress Jane Barnes. She starts by doing extra work. After several months she is offered a studio contract (the "first step"). However, her work consists mostly of fashion shoots and bit parts that end up on the cutting room floor. She is even used as a stand-in for Maureen O'Sullivan on the set of a Tarzan movie when camera angles and lighting must be set up.

Wasted! The Story of Food Waste

July 2017 •English

See how the world’s most influential chefs battle food waste through the eyes of chef-heroes like Massimo Bottura, Dan Barber and Danny Bowien.

The Last Animals

May 2017 •English

The Last Animals is a story about an extraordinary group of people who go to incredible lengths to save the planet's last animals. The documentary follows the conservationists, scientists and activists battling poachers and transnational trafficking syndicates to protect elephants and rhinos from extinction. From Africa's front lines to behind the scenes of Asian markets, the film takes an intense look at the global response to this slaughter and the desperate measures to genetically rescue the Northern White rhinos who are on the edge of extinction.

A River Below

April 2017 •English

Deep in the Amazon, the population of the indigenous pink river dolphin is dwindling. Docile and easy to catch, this near-mythical animal is being hunted to extinction and used as bait for scavenger fish. But two activists are each working tirelessly to raise awareness and protect the species. On the one hand a marine biologist and on the other a famous TV star, each has their own very different approach to their one common goal.

Motherland

February 2010 •English

Fusing history, culture, politics, and contemporary issues, Motherland sweeps across Africa to tell a new story of a dynamic continent. From the glory and majesty of Africa's past through its complex history. Africa as you have never seen it.

Jekyll Island, The Truth Behind The Federal Reserve

October 2013 •English

This film is about the greatest rip-off in history - the very way money and debt are created and controlled. This affects everyone on the planet, and is the basic cause of all of our economic problems today. Until we all recognize this - in every nation - there is nothing any national government does will fix the problem, and all of us will see mounting debts and sinking standards of living. Our children will inherit this mess, and it will get worse every single year. The truth is that depressions are NOT normal. They are contrived. The truth is that nations don't need a national debt. The truth is that nations don't have to borrow. Why would you borrow when you can create the money you need? The truth is that governments generally aren't PRINTING money wildly; governments are BORROWING money wildly. The good news is we CAN fix this. It won't take a war or a revolution; it only takes a simple understanding of the problem, and its simple solution. The truth is that ANYONE can

The L.A. Riots: 25 Years Later

April 2017 •English

HISTORY brings you an all-encompassing documentary event cantered around the 25th anniversary of the LA Riots, the most destructive riot in American history that left 53 people dead and caused over a billion dollars in damage.

From the Ashes

April 2017 •English

Capturing Americans in communities across the country as they wrestle with the legacy of the coal industry and what its future should be under the Trump Administration. From Appalachia to the West’s Powder River Basin, the film goes beyond the rhetoric of the “war on coal” to present compelling and often heartbreaking stories about what’s at stake for our economy, health, and climate.